The first stage of the Spanish stage race remained calm for a long time. Three riders broke away on the first climb, but their lead was kept under a minute, preventing the breakaway from becoming a serious threat. They were eventually caught on the second climb of the day.

For Van Agt, that was the moment to launch her own attack, taking Julie Van de Velde with her. The duo gave it their all but were reeled in with 18 kilometers to go. In the final kilometers, the yellow-and-black squad moved up strongly to the front, allowing Vigié to start the sprint well-positioned. The French rider ultimately secured an impressive third place.

“We raced very well as a team today”, said sports director Jan Boven, reflecting on the performance. “We didn’t start with a designated team leader, which opened up opportunities for others. And looking at today, the riders certainly seized those chances. Eva and Mijntje were very aggressive, and Margaux finished it off with a really strong sprint.”

Tomorrow brings another challenging stage, and the team in yellow and black hopes to be visible again. “We’ll have to see how it unfolds, especially with two short but steep climbs right at the start. But we definitely want to show ourselves again as a team, and hopefully in the same way as we did today. I’m looking back on this stage with a very positive feeling.”